New Itinerary! – Legendary backcountry powder skiing in Hokkaido, Japan. Join us on a road trip around Hokkaido, the northern Island of Japan, ski touring and backcountry skiing in the best summits and resorts around the island.  This is a true backcountry trip for experienced ski tourers, with a mix of lift assisted day touring and longer ski touring days, to reach some of the islands famous volcano summits.

This trip travels out to  Sapporo New Chitose Airport, the nearest international airport to the region.

Skiing in Japan

With its legendary deep powder, endless forests and iconic volcanoes, Japan presents an exciting challenge for backcountry skiers. From the towering peaks of Daisetsuzan National Park to the secluded valleys of the Niseko region, Hokkaido provides a diverse array of ski touring opportunities for dedicated powder seekers. On this road trip style holiday, we base ourselves in 3 different areas in order to explore a wide diversity of terrain.

A ski holiday to Japan isn’t only about the powder, but also about discovering the country’s rich culture and hospitality. Hokkaido’s onsens, or natural hot springs, offer a perfect way to relax and rejuvenate tired muscles after a day in the backcountry. Finally, each evening we enjoy authentic Japanese cuisine, including steaming bowls of ramen, fresh seafood delicacies, and hearty hot pots, all sourced from local ingredients. With its combination of breathtaking scenery, challenging terrain, and warm hospitality, backcountry ski touring in Hokkaido promises an unforgettable adventure for those willing to venture off the beaten path.

Suitability

This is a dedicated backcountry trip for ski tourers looking for great powder. Some days may use uplift alone to make the most of the regions amazing powder, some will involve a mix of uplift and skinning to escape the resorts, and some will be full day tours with a good amount of vertical ascent, aiming to climb some of the islands famous volcanoes – ie it is not solely a ‘resort based skiing, with a bit of skinning’ type trip – so you need to be fit enough and ready for some big climbs each day. Expect at least half the days to be 100% skinning.

This is an intermediate/advanced level trip. To take part you should be at Fitness Level 3-4 and Tech Level 3-4 (this is equivalent to Ski Club of GB High Purple/Gold off piste ski standard – see our Fitness/Experience guidelines). You need at least 3 weeks ski touring experience in order to join this tour, including good quality powder skiing experience. If you haven’t skied with us before, then a reference from a guide (or ski tour leader that we know) may be required.  The week includes some 5-7 hour days with generally steady climbs and typically 1000-1400m of ascent – so you can expect to be skinning for 3-4+ hours. Some days we may use uplift and skins to access backcountry terrain around local resorts, all with day packs and at low altitude.

Special Kit Requirement – Wide Skis

It’s Japan, so everyone must have a pair of wide powder skis on this trip, preferably mounted with lightweight pin bindings. Typically, this means ~105-110mm underfoot (100+ for lighter skiers and 110+ for heavier skiers).

Recommended ski widths for different weight skiers on this trip:

50-65kg – 100mm+ recommended
70-85kg – 105mm+ recommended
85kg+ – 110mm+ recommended
Some good lightweight examples: Atomic Backland 109, Faction La Machine 3 or 4, BD Helio 115 etc

Guiding ratio

One IFMGA guide skiing with 6 clients.

Included in price

• 9 days guiding
• All guides expenses
• 10 nights hotel accommodation in Japan including breakfast
• Transport in Japan during the trip

Excluded from price (see factsheet for extra cost estimates)

• Lunches and drinks
• Evening meals
• Flights to Hokkaido
• Insurance
• Equipment hire

Accommodation

We stay at a range of traditional Japanese hotels and Onsens in the region, serving excellent local cuisine each evening, so you can enjoy the full cultural experience.  Hot spas are a regular apres ski activity.

ABTOT Protected

This trip is protected by ABTOT – Alpine Guides Ltd, Membership Number 5394.  For further information, please visit our Financial Protection page.

Subject to weather and snow conditions, the plan is as follows. Please note that this is a sample itinerary only – on trips like this, itineraries are always subject to change as the current snow, weather and avalanche conditions need to be taken into account. This is an essential part of safety planning for all backcountry skiing, so please be ready for changes as part of your trip.

Day 0-1

Fly from Uk to Sapporo New Chitose airport (overnight flight). Day 1 arrive, transfer to Niseko region.

Evening Briefing – your guide will run through kit checks and safety routines, before going on to discuss the current weather and mountain conditions and how these affect our plans. We’ll have maps and information on the area to show you, so if you’ve any further questions or last minute requests, then this is the ideal time to bring them up.

Day 2-5

Niseko area – 4 days lift accessed skiing and backcountry. Ski days could include:

• Niseko United for lift accessed powder skiing and touring options.
• Rusutsu ski resort for storm skiing in the trees.
• Kokusai and Kiroro ski resorts for legendary quantities of snow and access to backcountry terrain.
• Mt Yotei. A stunning volcano known as the Fuji of Hokkaido. This summit is one of the finest ski peaks in Japan if the weather and conditions allow for the 1,600m ascent to the summit and the possibility of a ski into the crater. The lower mountain has excellent tree skiing for storm days.
• Shiribetsu. An excellent peak for ski touring with stunning views towards Mt Yotei.

Day 6-7

For the second stage of our trip, we will spend two days based in the coastal town of Otaru, renowned for its seafood, historic canal and glassware. This provides an excellent base for accessing the nearby resorts of Kiroro, Kokusai and Teine, whilst still being within easy reach of many excellent touring destinations.

Day 8-10

Daisetsuzan National Park region – 3 days backcountry skiing.  Possible outings:

• Asahi Dake. The highest mountain in Hokkaido is accessed by a cable car with excellent touring options from the top of the lift to reach the summit or neighbouring peaks. The peak also has stunning volcanic fumaroles you can ski next to!
• Mt Tokachi. This volcanic peak has a large crater and fumarole you can ski up next to, as well as touring options up neighbouring peaks.
• Mt Furano. Another excellent peak with plentiful touring options.
• Mt Ashibetsu. This remote peak is a big day out and has stunning touring options.
• Furano ski resort.

Day 11

Return to Sapporo New Chitose airport for evening flights home.

Flights

We will be flying to Sapporo New Chitose Airport (CTS) on Hokkaido. There are flights with various airlines from London and Manchester, including good options from BA (operated by Japan Airlines) and Cathay Pacific. If you would prefer to arrive in Hokkaido a day or two early to do some sightseeing and adjust to the new timezone, or stay in Hokkaido after your trip, this will open up more flight options. Use Sky Scanner to find the best deals.

Hokkaido is well served from all major international airports, usually with a change in Tokyo, for clients travelling from elsewhere besides the UK.

Please note the meeting and departure times at Chitose airport and ensure that your flights are appropriate. Onward transport will be in a private group minibus.

Week 1

Travel out: Departing the UK on Sat 16th Jan 2027, arriving Chitose on Sunday 17th Jan.  Your guide will meet you in Manchester for flights out, or at Chitose airport at 5pm, ready for onward travel to Niseko.

Travel home:  Your guide will drop you at Chitose airport at 12pm on Weds 27th Jan. Fly from Chitose to the UK, departing from mid afternoon on Weds 27th, arriving in the UK on Thurs 28th Jan.

Week 2

Travel out: Departing the UK on Wednesday 27th Jan 2027, arriving Chitose on Thursday 28th Jan.  Your guide will meet you at Chitose airport at 5pm, ready for onward travel to Niseko.

Travel home:  Your guide will drop you at Chitose airport at 12pm on Sunday 7th Feb. Fly from Chitose to the UK, departing from mid afternoon onwards on Sunday 7th, arriving in the UK on Monday 8th Feb.

To enjoy this trip you should be comfortable operating at Fitness Level 3/4, and Ski Tech Level 3/4:

Fitness Level 3
You do 3-4 hours cv training/sport per week. At this level you are happy doing a 5-6 hr hillwalk, 40-50ml cycle or 3-4hr mountain bike ride without being totally exhausted. If you are into challenges – then the thought of doing a road sportive, or training to do a 1/2 (or maybe even a full) marathon, wouldn’t seem too ridiculous. On foot: you should be able to do the full Langdale Horseshoe: Langdale – Pike of Stickle – Angle Tarn – Bow Fell – Crinkle Crags – Pike of Blisco – Langdale in a day without finishing up exhausted. On skis: you can skin uphill at 300-400m/hr for 3-4 hrs a day (ie 8-1200m of ascent each day)

Fitness Level 4
You do 4+ hours CV training/sport per week. A 70+ mile cycle ride, or 20+ mile hillwalk on a weekend would hold no fears. If so inclined, you might be the kind of person who has done longer road sportives/challenge rides, a ~3.30hr marathon or other similar endurance events. Keen hillwalkers who happily knock off 3-4+ munros in a day also have this kind of fitness and endurance. On skis: you can skin at 400m+/hr or could handle 4-6hrs skinning a day. (ie 1000-1400m+ of ascent each day).

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Tech Level 3
Confirmed Off Piste Skier. You can put down a reasonable set of tracks in powder, but difficult snow types – eg heavy wet snow, crusts, poor visibility or 40dg slopes – can all cause problems (though you can cope with them safely, if not elegantly!) *Equivalent to Ski Club of GB Off Piste Level: Purple – Advanced*
Likely to say: ‘I’d like to handle difficult snow/steep slopes more confidently in better style’
Our Advice: Off piste coaching still useful. Intermediate off piste weeks are at your level too. If you want to get into ski touring, try a touring course or intro level ski tour. If you’re an established ski mountaineer, then intermediate level tours are generally suitable.

Tech Level 4
Advanced Off Piste Skier. You can put turns in through heavier snow and on icy 40dg slopes, but difficult breakable crusts and skiing a fresh track off piste in zero visibility are still somewhat challenging! *Equivalent to Ski Club of GB Off Piste Level: Gold – Expert*
Likely to say: I’ve been skiing ten/twenty years – I’d like to do your ‘……’ tour.
Our Advice: You will enjoy our advanced level trips, but don’t overlook the touring skills and physical fitness needed as well. Mileage is the best way to improve your ability level.

To view all of our Ski Fitness Levels and Off Piste Technical Levels, please visit our Ski Ability page.

If you need to top up your fitness for this trip, please see our Ski Touring Training Advice page.

Off Piste Ski Ability Levels

To join this trip, you need to be skiing at Tech Level 3/4 or higher on our 5 point scale. Use the descriptions above and the following video to help work out your current off piste ski ability level.

Day Touring Equipment List

Just remember, every extra kilo on your back knocks 10% off your enjoyment on the descents – so try and keep the weight down!

Technical Clothing

• Waterproof Jacket – preferably lightweight and breathable
• Overtrousers/ski pants – preferably with side zips
• Fleece mid layer or equivalent
• Spare fleece or lightweight insulated duvet jacket
• Socks – specialist ski socks or a warm loop lined pair of mountain socks
• Wicking thermal top – not cotton please…
• Thermal leggings or ski pants
• Thin inner gloves
• Warm ski gloves or mittens, if you suffer from cold hands
• Warm hat

Personal Items

• Water container – at least 1 litre
• Personal medications and blister kit – regular meds, zinc oxide tape, compeed and painkillers etc
• Ski goggles
• Sun glasses – CE rated 3 or 4 with side protection
• Sun and lip cream – factor 30+
• Wallet, passport and insurance docs

Technical Equipment

• Rucsac 25/35l – try and avoid ones covered in too many features, just ski and ice axe attachments required
• Ski mountaineering boots
• Skis with touring bindings – lightweight pin binding setup required. Heavy freeride setups not suitable. Older style bar/rail bindings (Fritschi Freeride, Marker Duke etc) not allowed – please update your kit!
• Ski strap – to keep skis together on your rucksack if we need to carry them
• Ski poles – with good size 5cm+ baskets (telescopic poles are not needed)
• Climbing skins – they come with the skis if you hire your kit
• Harscheisen (ski crampons) – they come with the skis if you hire your kit
• Metal snow shovel – must be a full metal shovel (plastic blades don’t work in real avalanche debris!)
• Avalanche probe
• Avalanche transceiver – must be a modern digital model (older analogue models are now obsolete)
• Harness, with 120cm sling and locking karabiner
• Crampons – bring them if you have them
• Ice Axe – bring if you have one
• Ski Helmet – lightweight ski touring or backcountry model preferred.  Wearing a helmet is compulsory on descents and may be needed on other parts of the route depending on conditions

Your guide will have all other safety kit, first aid and survival equipment.

Recommendations and Advice
Visit the Knowledge Base section of our website, where we publish an annual review of the years best new skis, boots and touring equipment, plus a range of other interesting tips and recommendations. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please get in touch!

Purchasing Equipment
Backcountry UK in Otley offer an excellent ski touring boot fitting service, one of the best ranges of ski mountaineering equipment in the UK and top notch advice.

Hiring Equipment
Please visit our Equipment Hire page for recommended hire shops in your resort, and Alpine Guides hire equipment price list.

For this trip you must have specialist travel insurance providing medical, emergency search/rescue and repatriation cover for off piste skiing and ski touring, as outlined in the trip itinerary. We also strongly recommend that you purchase cancellation cover, in case you’re unable to attend your trip due to personal circumstances or injury. Please arrange your insurance as soon as your trip is confirmed to run.

Please note this trip is outside European Territorial Limits for most insurance providers, so you need to purchase worldwide cover.

Further details can be found on our insurance info page.